Shooting in Crowded California Bar on 'College Night' Claims 12 Lives

A gunman killed 12 people in a Thousand Oaks, Calif., club Wednesday night, including a sheriff’s deputy, according to law enforcement.

Sheriff Geoff Dean said a gunman threw smoke bombs into the Borderline Bar & Grill — located in Ventura County, north of Los Angeles — and started shooting bullets into a crowd of hundreds, as reported by theLos Angeles Times.

Two law enforcement officers entered the bar but were met with gunfire. Sheriff’s Sgt. Rob Helus suffered gunshot wounds and died at the hospital this morning.

The shooter, identified by law enforcement as 28-year-old Ian David Long, died at the scene as well.

Officials have not yet suggested a motive for the attack.

“It doesn’t matter how safe your community is, it doesn’t matter how low your crime rate is — there are people who just don’t think properly everywhere,” Dean said.

The shooting in many ways recalled the tragic Pulse shooting in Orlando in 2016. Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf, now a prominent gun control activist, this morning commented on the deaths.